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In excess of two dozen Olympic medal winners, trainers and other world-class competitors have endorsed a appeal demanding a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Escalating Global Anger

Amid growing worldwide anger over the country's escalating use of executions as a means of repression, the strongly worded letter denounces the government's decision to confirm the death sentence of the boxing champion.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was taken into custody for being involved in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has spent five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in seclusion.

“Athletics is designed to inspire faith, solidarity, and bravery,” the supporters expressed. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his political views is a blatant attack on these ideals and a admonition to any competitor who attempts to speak out.

Pattern of Killing Competitors

The appeal pointed out that the boxer's circumstances was part of a pattern and emphasized the nation's record of executing competitors for their beliefs, such as a football captain, skipper of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the female volleyball side. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old national wrestling champion, was also executed.

Other endorsers to the statement include a yachting pioneer, who led the inaugural all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the first woman to earn a esteemed yachting trophy; the former captain of the soccer side Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was detained in March 2020. The allegations against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and damage of public property”. His ruling has been reversed on two occasions but on October 4 it was confirmed on the latest review. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Appeal to International Body

The appeal to halt Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment is subsequent to a earlier letter to the United Nations official for rights, signed by more than a hundred advocates and groups, urging action to stop the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

As per reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has reached horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, the government sentenced at least 853 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. In the prior period, statistics showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, marking the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. In excess of 800 people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and dissidents are targets, particularly in the wake of the 2022's demonstrations. Analysts say the government have used the executions to stifle opposition, generate apprehension among the public and tighten their control on authority.